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#ActNow, Save Later: new UN social media campaign launched

Since the year 2000, almost 1 million people have lost their lives to disasters caused by natural hazards. 2 billion people have been affected. 1 trillion dollars in damage was caused.

The Act Now, Save Later campaign– a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – sheds light the exorbitant cost of recovery assistance following natural disasters, and urges wealthy nations to spend now in order to save later.

The social media campaign calls on member states to boost funding for disaster preparedness in order to significantly reduce the often devastating economic impact that floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters have particularly on developing nations.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the stark economic and human costs of natural disasters. Not only have natural disasters killed more than a million people and affected over a quarter of the global population since 2000; they have also cost the world upwards of US$1 trillion.

The campaign’s animated video draws attention to the fact that every single dollar of aid spent on preventing and mitigating disasters saves an average of seven dollars in humanitarian disaster response. The video – which features colorful imagery produced by New York-based company Ataboy – also calls on the global community to help raise awareness of disaster prevention needs by sharing the video via social media platforms, for example by using the hashtag #actnow on Twitter.

Currently, the international community spends only 1% of aid on disaster preparedness, despite it being an important investment against natural hazards. Not only does it provide the humanitarian community with valuable time when disasters strike, but it gives vulnerable people a buffer against repeated crises, which can push them further into poverty.

When the Security Council approaches the final stage of negotiation of a draft resolution the text is printed in blue... What's in Blue helps interested UN readers keep up with what might soon be "in blue".

The Brussels based United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe - UNRIC provides information on UN activities to the countries of the region. It also provides liaison with institutions of the European Union in the field of information. Its outreach activities extend to all segments of society and joint campaigns, projects and events are organized with partners including the EU, governments, the media, NGOs, schools and local authorities.